10 things to know about the Texas Taco War between Austin and San Antonio

By By Madalyn Mendoza

on March 3, 2016 1:37 PM

Click through the slideshow to get up to speed on the Texas Taco War between Austin and San Antonio.

Click through the slideshow to get up to speed on the Texas Taco War between Austin and San Antonio.

Click through the slideshow to get up to speed on the Texas Taco...photo-9499159.125982 - |ucfirst

1. Eater publishes an article declaring Austin home of the breakfast taco.

When the popular food and drink site published this recipe for war on Feb. 19, the stretch of I-35 between San Antonio and Austin sizzled like a strip of bacon. A fussy war erupted over a no-fuss meal when the city “became the home of the crucial breakfast taco” and was also given the title of being the “birthplace of the phrase breakfast taco.”

2. The author, San Antonio’s public enemy No. 1, is located in New York.

Matthew Sedacca revealed more of who he is on his Twitter account, @matthewlevine13, noting places where he’s worked and impressive schools where he's studied like Columbia and NYU. New York is tagged as the writer’s current location, but “Texas native” has been added to his profile to clear up any possible angst against a foreigner and his taco takes.

2. The author, San Antonio’s public enemy No. 1, is located in...photo-9493446.125982 - |ucfirst

3. The Ivy League taco expert bats for Team Burrito.

While the Lone Star State is busy hurdling tortillas at each other, Sedacca is watching the world burn with a burrito - not a taco - in his devious hands. While he hasn’t publicly addressed the controversy he created, not on Twitter at least, he did post a photo of himself giving a half-eaten burrito a thumbs-up in a self portrait titled “burritos 4 life.”

4. San Antonio social media unites in outrage, accusing Austin of 'Columbusing' the taco.

In the days following, Facebook, Twitter and any other platform where we people gather to become keyboard vigilantes erupted in a frenzy of disgust at the historical erasure of San Antonio and the Rio Grande Valley's pivotal influence. The Eater article was shared to Facebook about 12,000 times.

5. A hero rises above them all with a petition to exile Sedacca beyond state lines

Robbie Rodgers, a man who like many San Antonians has had it with Austin getting all the cool cred, created a lengthy missive demanding exile and punishment for the writer. The petition garnered nearly 2,000 signatures and thickened the drama.

5. A hero rises above them all with a petition to exile Sedacca...photo-9493713.125982 - |ucfirst

6. Things heaten up when the politicians start talking

On Feb. 22, San Antonio’s Mayor Ivy Taylor poked fun at the taco topic on Twitter, telling Austin Mayor Steve Adler she would treat him to Alamo City tacos. He responded, asking if her account had been hacked and then…

6. Things heaten up when the politicians start talking On Feb....photo-9493599.125982 - |ucfirst

7. Austin describes San Antonio as “London circa World War II but with more crumbling buildings”

In an Austin Statesman article, published in response to mySA.com’s “10 reasons to hate Austin beyond their breakfast taco arrogance,” the River Walk was referred to as a “stretch of waist-deep water running through the town like a dysentric artery.” So original.

With war in full-swing, the mouths of foodies digested bites of tacos and the latest debacle happenings. People and businesses like Taco Garage went as far as hosting websites and captioning marquees to let Austin know they do not stand a chance.

9. Everyone wants to taco ‘bout it With war in full-swing,...photo-9048508.125982 - |ucfirst

10. In the end, neither city can lay their claim on tacos

Surely, residents of Austin and San Antonio knew that. A history buff and professor named Jeffrey M. Pilcher’s study of tacos (cool job, huh?) traced their tasty origins to 18th-century Mexican silver mines, according to the Smithsonian. There, it’s settled. But, San Antonio still loves tacos more than Austin.